Activists in Central Mass. call to end gun strife

Sunday

Jul 7, 2013 at 6:00 AMJul 8, 2013 at 10:14 AM

By Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

At 81 years old and with some health issues to deal with, Joan Webster of Worcester agreed that it probably wasn't smart of her to sit out at Elm Park yesterday in the midday sun and the sweltering humidity.

But with members of Congress at loggerheads on how to deal with the nation's gun violence, she felt it was important to get out with other activists to urge the public to push lawmakers into finding ways of curbing the number of deaths by firearms.

“This is something that now consumes me,” said Ms. Webster, sitting in a green and white lawn chair at Park Avenue and Highland Street. “I've been involved in other issues, like fighting racism, and I can truthfully say that I can sit this one out. But I won't.”

Yesterday, a handful of members of the Worcester area “Save Lives, Stop Gun Violence” held up signs at Elm Park urging passers-by to get involved in passing gun control safety measures.

The group has been at the site for the past several Saturdays.

Veronique Orcel, co-chair of the organization, said the group will move to other places in coming weeks and will begin to make its presence known at local concerts, festivals, and other events.

Group members said that it's important to remember the horror of the shooting rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn.

“But a lot of people are beginning to forget and that's dangerous,” said 70-year-old Lillian Corti.

Ronal C. Madnick, a member of the group and the former head of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that 700 more children and 7,000 adults have died since the massacre in Connecticut and few states have beefed up their gun laws.

In Massachusetts, the state Legislature has yet to deal with dozens of gun-related bills more than half a year since the attack at Sandy Hook, which killed 20 first-graders and six educators.

The legislation includes proposals like tightening access to high-powered ammunition, establishing new gun-related crimes and a mandate that those buying weapons at gun shows undergo background checks.

The Legislature's Public Safety Committee has kicked off a series of hearings across Massachusetts on the proposed changes. A hearing is scheduled for Monday at Assumption College.

A stalemate also exists in Capitol Hill months after a special panel assembled by President Obama came up with its own recommendations.

Many have blamed the paralysis in Washington on the National Rifle Association.

“They have a lot of members who pay dues and that gives them some (financial) power,” said Mr. Madnick. “They have some deep pockets.”

Taking the NRA's lobbying efforts into account, Mr. Madnick, who's attended some of the hearings in the Bay State, said he still doesn't understand why Congress won't pass gun control legislation, given the public's overwhelming support for some restrictions.

“In the long run, it won't cost the politicians votes because the people are for laws that would tighten access to guns,” said Mr. Madnick, noting there are about 300 million guns in private hands in the United States. “We're not going after law-abiding citizens who own guns but we want to keep weapons away from those who are irresponsible.”

Mr. Madnick, noting that about 12 percent of Massachusetts residents own guns, said it would be easier to get something done, if anti-gun advocates have a similar organization in place like the NRA.

Ms. Webster, meanwhile, said that municipalities can still do something while waiting for more restrictive legislation.

For example, she said that gun “buyback” exchange programs, like the ones held in Worcester, work.

She said that the debate over guns can be resolved if both parties earnestly work to find compromise.

“We're pretty good at talking at each other,” said Ms. Webster. “But we're not so good at listening.”

Mrs. Corti said that people can be injured, even if the guns were bought for protection and sports and recreation.

She said that many years ago, her husband, a hunter, almost accidentally shot the couple's daughter when she came home late at night.

“There was a sound in the house and we had recently experienced a break-in,” explained Mrs. Corti. “We could have had a tragedy on our hands.”

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